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Questions For Readings, Test Practice and Review

50% of the questions on an exam will be the same as or similar to the questions you see here or that you have seen in class handouts.

Lecture and Reading Questions

As you answer these questions, keep in mind the following:

• Use examples if they would help you to explain something
• I grade your answers based on
  • Accuracy-do you have your facts correct
  • Clarity-did you communicate your facts in such a way that I cannot misunderstand them.  Make them tightly reasoned and well written.
  • Sufficiency-don’t just say “no” if a fuller explanation would reveal your knowledge.

1. What is confirmation bias?  Give an example that you might be guilty of
2. What are the 6 steps of the scientific method?
3. What is the antidote for confirmation bias?
4. What is the purpose of the scientific method?  Discuss what might happen if people didn’t rely on the scientific method.
5. The wolf and coyote are in the same genus but why aren’t they considered the same species (include elements of the definition of a species in your answer)?
6. Write the list of the 8 groups used in the classification of living things in proper order starting with Domain and ending with Species.
7. What is the difference between a prokaryote and a eukaryote?  Which is the domain of mammals?
8. What was discovered at the bottom of the ocean that impacted our knowledge of life?
9. If you had animal with a nucleus, which domain would it be in?
10. What is DNA?
11. What is the relationship between DNA and a snake’s poison or an enzyme that you need to digest food?  [This question could be what is the relationship between DNA and any protein an organism creates including poisons or enzymes].
12. Is the DNA in my hand the same as the DNA in my stomach?
13. If DNA makes an identical clone, then how is it that children are not the same as their parents? 
14. Briefly discuss one of the five traits (don’t discuss fur) of mammals mentioned in this class.
15. Give a living example of a monotreme, a marsupial and a placental.
16. Some zoologists believe that warm bloodedness and fur are the traits most responsible for mammals achieving dominance in the animal kingdom.  Defend that point of view.
17. Describe two functions of mammalian hair.
18. What is the benefit of vivipary?
19. Where do we get the word “mammal”?

EXAM I

1. Why is the platypus interesting when considering the evolution of mammals?
2. Make a sketch of Protocetus. 
3. Name and define the Latin sub-order of the grey whales.
4. Living in the ocean poses several problems for marine mammals.  Discuss three of the problems and how they are solved by whales.

• One:
• Two:
• Three:

5. Describe the feeding habits of the grey whale.
6. When did Protocetus live? 
7. What is the relationship between water temperature and food and oxygen?
8. Are whales precocious?  Explain.
9. Give an example of a vestigial feature on an animal.
10. Migrating south is good for the baby gray whale but hard on the mom.  Explain.
11. Why do whales love the cold water?  It seems like is would be negative for their survival.
12. How many babies is “enough” for reproductive success for an animal?
13. Define niche
14. Why is the platypus interesting when considering the evolution of mammals?
15. About 200 mya scientists noticed heterodonts rather than the typical homodonts.  What did this portend (i.e. indicate)?
16. What evolutionary concepts are noted in the terms “Descent with modification?”
17. Name some genetic traits that a shepherd would want in a sheep dog.
18. What is a mutation?
19. I discussed a baby whale in the Puget Sound near Olympia.  What gene might be weak in that animal that allowed it to get isolated from its pod?  (I want you to engage in the same kind of speculation we did in class).
20. What are homologous structures?  Defend the argument that homologous structures support the theory of evolution?
21. What does vestigial mean?  Give an example of a vestigial trait in an animal.  How does that vestigial trait relate to the theory of evolution?
22. How much of the DNA recipe book is shared between humans and chimpanzees?  (Answer with a %).
23. Name a carnivore that rarely eats more vegetation than meat.
24. Explain the relationship between urine and muscle mass in a hibernating bear.
25. Explain the phenomena of delayed implantation.  What is the benefit to bears?
26. Are bears altricial or precocious?  Justify your answer.
27. Why do bears need so much land to survive (it’s not because they are large)?
28. Describe one feature that indicates that a bear does not truly hibernate.
29. Why is the coyote called a generalist?
30. In terms of reproduction, how many babies is “enough”? 
31. There are three characteristics that confer “low reproductive rate” on an animal.  What are those characteristics?
32. Tell me a trait of mustelids.
33. What is a generalist?
34. Why are endangered animals usually not generalists?
35. What other animals are in the same genus as the coyote?
36. Coyote’s range is growing in most places.  There is an exception, however.  Explain the exception.
37. What is altricial?  Give an example.
38. What do juvenile coyotes eat?  Discuss.
39. How do coyotes practice resource partitioning? 
40. What is the significance of Valentines Day and Tax Day in the life of a coyote?
41. I mentioned that natural selection has had a dramatic culling effect on coyotes and that they are a very tough species.  Discuss.
42. Name a carnivore from the following habitats:
    1. Marine
    2. Terrestrial
    3. Semi-aquatic
    4. Arboreal
43. Define niche.
44. Define diurnal.
45. Discuss the fur of sea otters.
46. Why are sea otters considered a keystone species?
47. Scientists are hoping that on some spring day, a male from Vancouver Island will . . . Complete that thought and explain it.
48. Describe genetic bottlenecking with regard to sea otters.
49. One thing sea otters do that only a few other animals do (primates and some birds):
50. Are sea otters altricial or precocial?
51. Sea otters may mate year round but babies are born in late spring.  Explain.
52. How many sea otters are in Washington today?
53. From the sea otter newspaper article: How many babies were counted in March 2005?
54. From the newspaper article: Why are gray whales called the canaries of the sea?
55. From the newspaper article: How many gray whales were counted in 1970?
56. From the newspaper article: Some people believe economics helped to prevent whales from being hunted to extinction.  Discuss this possibility in terms of the article.
57. From the newspaper article about gray whales: What happened in 2000?
58. According to the article, how many sea otters were counted (in 2004)?
59. realizing that there are two sides to a debate, what would you recommend if you were a policy maker regarding sea otters and the potential conflicts in Washington?
60. Explain one of the ecological advantages of otters in a given area?
61. Genetically, explain why Washington’s sea otters are vulnerable.
62. Describe where a bear might den according to author Bernard Heinrich.
63. Why would a bear feed voraciously in late summer but not eat much at all in the days before it hibernates?
64. Heinrich explains that when bears hibernate depends on several factors. Mention one of these.
65. Humans’ waste nitrogen goes into ________. During hibernation, bears’ waste nitrogen goes into _________.
66. Humans would not tolerate hibernation very well. Describe one physiological capability that a hibernating bear has that humans do not have.
67. Find and memorize a formula for converting Celsius temperatures into Fahrenheit. Convert 35° C to Fahrenheit ________.

EXAM II

1. See the questions for the reading articles.
2. Name three facets of rodents’ teeth
3. Name a rodent from each habitat:
   1. Arboreal
   2. Terrestrial
   3. Aquatic
   4. Subterranean
4. What does Diastema mean?
5. Why do biologists claim that rodents are successful?
6. As an evolutionary strategy, why must rodents be fecund?
7. Why are rodents characteristically fecund?  Use the term niche in your answer.
8. What role do rodents typically play in their ecosystem?
9. Essay.  Explain how beaver are responsible for succession.  Draw a diagram to support your answer.
10. Describe three adaptations that facilitate the beaver’s aquatic life style.
11. Why might beaver be an exception to the vaunted fecundity of rodents?
12. Are beaver babies altricial or precocial?
13. Why might a beaver be said to only have 355 days in a year?
14. How have humans impacted beaver?  Do humans still impact beaver?
15. How do beaver get nutrition from their environment?  Address their food supply and their way of using it.
16. How are beaver able to extract calories from wood?
17. What is a circadian rhythm?
18. What is the function of the nictitating membrane?
19. Discuss the nictitating membrane
20. Where do deer mice live?
21. What do deer mice eat?
22. What is the meaning of the Latin names for the deer mouse?
23. Discuss the eyes of Peromyscus.
24. What prevents mice from too much interbreeding?
25. What feature about chipmunks demonstrates the notion that rodents don’t like roads?
26. In what way do lagomorphs benefit from being coprophagic?
27. Explain three differences between rabbits and hares.
28. List two rabbits and two hares.
29. Why is the pygmy rabbit endangered?  (Include in your answer what plant the pygmy rabbit is dependent on).
30. Most of our rabbits don’t burrow.  Where do they sleep?
31. Why are lagomorphs often considered keystone species?
32. Why do snowshoe hares starve to death in ten year cycles? L
33. Which statement about snowshoe hares is false?
    1. Snowshoe hares may become white before their habitat has snow.
    2. Snowshoe hares occasionally eat carrion.
    3. Snowshoe hares have altricial young.
    4. Snowshoe hares do not dig burrows.
34. How do marmots keep their population down?  Why do they do that?  Isn’t it contrary to evolution?
35. Tell me about the male deer mouse’s role regarding babies.
36. Suppose a healthy male flying squirrel mates with a female.  What is the evolutionary benefit of the chastity plug?
37. Where do deer mice live?
38. What do deer mice eat?
39. What is the meaning of the Latin names for the deer mouse?
40. Discuss the eyes of Peromyscus.
41. What prevents mice from too much interbreeding?
42. What odd behavior is shared between primates and porcupines?  What might be an advantage of this behavior?
43. Name a rodent that hibernates.
44. Name a monogamous rodent.
45. Expect pika questions from lecture
46. Artiodactyla have distinct teeth and skulls.  Explain.
47. What does feral mean?
48. Draw a 4 chambered stomach and explain what happens as food goes through it.
49. How do artiodactyla benefit from their complex stomach system?  (this may be answered in terms of predators (a minor point) or in terms of calories (the main point).
50. What is rut?
51. At the end of rut, the females and males are in very different circumstances (relating to winter survival).  Discuss.
52. Give an example of how elk are matriarchal in social structure.
53. Insectivora questions from last week's lecture.

On the Final Exam,  you can earn points by using the proper Latin names for mammals.  Here are the instructions that you will see on the test:

"You are required to use Latin names six times on this test.  Use them wherever you want and use a highlight pen for each of those times.  That will be worth 3 points.  You may earn an additional 2 points by using four more Latin names . . ."  So there will be opportunity to use Latin names 10 times.  As long as they are germane to the questions asked, I will count them.